Bits and pieces (part 3)
by Leto
Summary: This one includes a parody of the play "Antigone", the kids getting sick of Izzy's arrogance, encountering the dedigivolved form of Piedmon, and one where they actually battle Piedmon (this was gonna be in response to the Violence Challenge.)


Bits and pieces, part 3 **Bits and pieces, part 3**  
by [Leto][1]

Same deal with the first two parts.

I don't like to waste my time... there are a number of fics I never got around to finishing... maybe I didn't have enough time, or I ran out of inspiration, or I got stuck, or I just couldn't be bothered. At any rate, here are those fics. Some are close to finished, some are only a coupla paragraphs... In bold italics are the intended outcomes or backgrounds of those fics, had I bothered to write them.

So, here we go. ^_^.

~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

**_These are various scenes I wrote, not really connected._**

We were studying Antigone in English class. Huh... when you say Soragone it sounds like sore agony. ^_^;;;

Antigone - Sora  
Ismene - Mimi  
Oedipus - Davis  
Polynices - Tai  
Eteocles - Kari  
Chorus - Izzy (others to him: "WOULD you shut up?!")  
Creon - Matt ("yeah, whatever")  
Eurydice - Yolei  
Haemon - Joe  
Oedipus - Davis  
Guard - TK  
Teiresius - Ken  
Assistant - Cody  
  
**Soragone**   
  
Soragone: Oh, Mimene! Dear, dear sister Mimene! My sister who I have suffered with (and suffered from, more often than not) through many hardships!  
Mimene: Yeah, now what? Can you make this latest spiel quick? I have an appointment for a pedicure, like, pretty soon.  
Soragone: Mimene, worry about your stupid toenails later! Have you heard this latest injustice?  
Mimene: The last bad thing *I* heard was that our dear brother and sister, Taices and Kariocles, were killed in battle. And that there was going to be a tax on eyelash curlers.  
Soragone: Yes! Dear, dear Taices and Kariocles! But did you hear that King Matteon has bestowed state honours on one but not the other?  
Mimene: No...  
Soragone: Dear Taices, our poor beloved brother...  
Mimene: Why do you keep calling everyone 'dear'? Look on the bright side, at least you won't have to put up with him hogging the TV remote control.  
Soragone: Oh, how could you say such a thing? Taices lies on the streets unburied and unwept, fair game for carrion birds and wild animals.  
Mimene: I wouldn't say he's 'unwept', I think you're doing a pretty good job compensating. And I hate to tell you this, Soragone, but we're in the middle of Tokyo, we don't get too many carrion birds here.  
Soragone: FINE THEN! He's fair game for bad drivers who swerve onto the pavement! Back to what I was SAYING, if I may finish...  
Mimene: Make it quick.  
Soragone: Our two siblings, both slain in a day. Taices, fighting with the Argive army...  
Mimene: You mean the opposing soccer team's supporters.  
Soragone: Dear Mimene, could you just shut up? Taices, fighting with the Argive army, and our dear Kariocles. The two brothers, slain by each other's hands, the remnants of the Curse of Davipus, our poor dear father...  
Mimene: Soragone, I already know all this...  
Soragone: I'm trying to fill in the viewers!  
Mimene: Well, you fill them in while I go get my nails done!  
Soragone: Wait a minute! I didn't even get to the point of my speech yet! Hey! MIMENE!  
Mimene: Ciao!  
Soragone: Oh great. Now I suppose I have to wait for about three hours, and that's IF she doesn't stop at the mall on the way back. Oh well, I can wait. This is of great importance. Since I was supposed to be filling you in anyway, Taices was deemed a traitor as he was living in Argos (camping out in the soccer bleachers) and when our two armies opposed each other, he and Kariocles had to face each other in battle. They killed each other. It's very sad. First our father, former king Davipus, found that he was married to his mother, and he killed himself. Now his curse is infecting our whole family. The current king, Matteon, has buried Kariocles as a heroine, as she was fighting for us, but poor Taices has been left to rot in the streets, under guard! Anyone who wishes to bury him must face certain death!  
-five hours later-  
Soragone: And you see, my resentment of King Matteon has...  
Mimene: I'm hoooome! Oh, you're STILL talking?  
Soragone: I'm just filling them in on the story so far!  
Mimene: Well, I'm so sorry to have missed that.  
Soragone: I can bring you up to date if you -  
Mimene: NO NO THAT'S OKAY!  
Soragone: Now that you're back... dear, dear sister Mimene!  
Mimene: Are you buttering me up to ask if you can borrow my clothes? Because I need that tank top to try to -  
Soragone: No, nothing like that! Mimene, now is the time to prove you are worthy of your royal bood!  
Mimene: Of course I am! I make the perfect princess! Soragone, pass me the hairbrush, will you?  
Soragone: Mimene, it's about two inches away from you!  
Mimene: Yeah, but I'm proving I'm perfect royalty. It's below my place to do such a menial task as pick something up.  
Soragone: I'M ROYALTY TOO!  
Mimene: Alright, alright. What's the big deal?  
Soragone: Come with me to move Taicles' body.  
Mimene: Eww, gross! I don't want to touch that disgusting stinky dead body! I had to walk past it on the way back from the pedicurist! It was reeking up the whole street!  
Soragone: But he deserves a proper burial! We're his sisters, we owe him that!  
Mimene: I owe him nothing! He threw a cockroach at me! We weren't even on speaking terms when he moved to Argos! He'll gloat so much in the afterlife if I meet him then having risked my neck to bury him! Anyway, isn't it, like, illegal to bury him?  
Soragone: Since when are you worried about what's illegal? Weren't you the one who parked in the handicapped zone?  
Mimene: I was handicapped! I'd broken a nail! Besides, they were having a sale and I had to get in there fast!  
Soragone: Uh huh. Are you gonna help me or not?  
Mimene: Oh, Sora, I just can't! I mean, you know I'd love to help you and all but Days of our Lives is about to come on!  
Soragone: I have the most screwed-up family there is...  
  
Izzy (the chorus): Rah rah. All hail the almighty Matteon, who is without peer and without superior. Unless you look over here, to the genius who is being overlooked and underpaid.  
Matteon: WOULD you shut up?!  
Izzy: My point exactly.  
  
Matteon: Guard TK! Why are you a lowly guard and not my next in line to the throne?  
TK: You kicked me out after I put that silly string in your shampoo, remember?  
Matteon: Oh yeah! AND I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU THAT! Now, what is your news?  
TK: Well, you know, it wasn't MY fault and I didn't want to come or anything but we were gambling and got confused and added up wrong and said "hit me" even though I already had 21 and...  
Matteon: You were gambling?! TK, wait until Mom and Dad hear about this! You're going to be in so much -  
TK: Matteon, I'm not a little kid any more! Like I was saying, I didn't wanna come but the others made me and I was doing my job and it was THEIR fault not mine and WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!  
Matteon: Uh... TK? Guard TK? HEY!  
TK: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!  
Matteon: GUARD! TO ORDER!  
TK: Nya? Oh, yeah... umm... *sniff* Well, someone buried Taicles against your order.  
Matteon: AS I RECALL I'M EMPLOYING PEOPLE EXPRESSLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF GUARDING THAT BODY!  
TK: Yes, but that round of blackjack was just so engaging and...  
Matteon: When your job description says you are a guard, you should be GUARDING!  
  
Izzy: Hey, Joemon, son of the (supposedly) great king, Matteon! Did you hear that your fiancee Soragone is doomed to die?  
Joemon: BONUS! Does that mean I get to marry her sister, Mimene?  
  
Joemon: Ummm... father?  
Matteon: WHAT DO YOU WANT, NERDBOY?!  
Joemon: Will you stop calling me that? I just came to ask if the ruling I heard was true.  
Matteon: You mean Soragone's fate? Yes, what about it?  
Joemon: Nothing, nothing! I was just wondering!  
Matteon: And what do you think of my decision?  
Joemon: Well, of course you can do no wrong, oh mighty king and father, it was a wise decision to maintain your authority.  
Matteon: Wisely said. (What a suck...) Let me tell you, boy, it is good that you honour me over your fiancee Soragone. Women are no good, they bring nothing but trouble.  
Joemon: That's not what you said after the last time Mom tried on that outfit with the -  
Matteon: Silence! Do not bring that up in public!  
  
Izzy: How can Euryolei be Joemon's mother when he's about four years older than her?  
Mimene: Euryolei... that's a mouthful!  
  
~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

**_This was to be a songfic, but I only wrote the end of the fic, not the parts in between the song lyrics._**

Because You Loved Me (Celine Dion)

For all those times you stood by me   
For all the truth that you made me see   
For all the joy you brought to my life   
For all the wrong that you made right   
For every dream you made come true   
For all the love I found in you   
I'll be forever thankful baby   
You're the one who held me up   
Never let me fall   
You're the one who saw me through  
Through it all   
You were my strength when I was weak   
You were my voice when I couldn't speak   
You were my eyes when I couldn't see   
You saw the best there was in me   
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach   
You gave me faith 'coz you believed   
I'm everything I am   
Because you loved me   
You gave me wings and made me fly  
You touched my hand I could touch   
the sky   
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me   
You said no star was out of reach   
You stood by me and I stood tall   
I had your love, I had it all   
I'm greatful for each day you gave me  
Maybe I don't know that much   
But I know this much is true   
I was blessed because I was loved  
by you   
You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak   
You were my eyes when I couldn't see   
You saw the best there was in me   
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach   
You gave me faith 'coz you believed   
I'm everything I am   
Because you loved me   
You were always there for me   
The tender wind that carried me   
A light in the dark shining your love   
into my life   
You've been my inspiration  
Through the lies you were the truth  
My world is a better place because   
of you   
You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak   
You were my eyes when I couldn't see   
You saw the best there was in me   
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach   
You gave me faith 'coz you believed   
I'm everything I am   
Because you loved me   
  
And now you're standing there saying goodbye, so blithely, with a cheerful "until next time!". Thank you for the whistle to remember you by. I wish I had your confidence. I don't want to discourage you so I'll smile and cheerfully say goodbye too.   
  
But now I found what I was looking for and it's gone so suddenly. Maybe we will meet again, Kari, but I know more about how hard life can be. When you're alone for a long time, your heart becomes very hard. I do not want that to happen to me again.   
  
Then... those Rookies are all running with me, waving to their friends too, saying goodbye and trying to be cheerful. Like me. They're not like me, but maybe I can stay, and maybe I don't have to be alone.   
  
Without you, Kari, I would have always been alone. Thank you for your friendship and trust. I thank you for that most of all.   
  
~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

**Playing Games with Death**  
by Leto

The kids were walking. Again. Sora held out her tag, but it sat lifeless and lightless in her hand. 

She sighed a little. "I'm sorry to be a bother," she said. 

"It's no bother," said Tai cheerfully, "hey, all our crests were along our path, I bet yours'll be too!" 

"At least Etemon isn't anywhere around..." said Joe, looking around nervously as though he expected their enemy to appear at any moment. 

"No," came a voice, "just me!" 

The air in front of the digidestined suddenly took form, and an odd-looking Digimon materialised, falling down and landing neatly a few metres away. The kids' Digimon took a step back, looking apprehensive. 

"Who's that?" asked Mimi. 

"That's Mimemon," said Palmon, "he's a bad Digimon, don't get too close or he'll try out one of his tricks on you!" 

"He doesn't look too tough," said Mimi critically, "just look at that HAIR! And the outfit is really very tacky, I'd say that -" 

"SHUT UP!" shouted Mimemon. 

Mimi blinked. "I thought mimes weren't supposed to make a sound!" 

**_Mimemon kills TK to 'make things interesting' and then challenges everyone to a contest/tournament to bring him back._**

"A few conditions... you must ALL participate, and nominate a different person for each event." 

Everyone suddenly looked a lot more nervous. 

"Ahahh," said Joe weakly, "what if I mess up? I don't do well under this kind of pressure!" 

"I don't wanna do this!" wailed Mimi. 

"I'm gonna throw up," said Joe. 

"Just do your best," said Tai, "and don't throw up near me..." 

"We have to try," said Matt, "we have to!" 

"I'm not saying we don't," said Sora, also looking a bit nervous, "but what if we can't do it?" 

"Don't talk like that," said Tai. 

"But I figured we could just get Izzy to do everything!" said Mimi, "this stress is making my hair frizzy!" 

"What does your hair have to do with anything," snapped Matt, "if there's any chance to save TK, we have to take it right away. Just do your best, like Tai said!" 

Everyone nodded. "For TK, I guess," said Joe, looking pale. 

"PERFECT!" screamed Mimemon, and suddenly their background disappeared. All around was dark (think Apocalymon battle) and Mimemon stood playing with something in his hands. 

"First challenge is an impossible one!" he said, "there's no way it's humanly possible for any of you to succeed! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" 

Matt looked unimpressed. "Show it to us already," he said. 

"Very well," said Mimemon, and threw something at them. Izzy caught it and turned it over in his hands, looking puzzled. 

"It's a Rubik's cube," said Izzy. 

"Right," said Mimemon, "your task, digidestined - solve it!" 

Everyone facefaulted. 

"I just hate those puzzle things," said Mimi. 

"I can never even get a single side," said Sora. 

"I think we know who to nominate for this one," said Tai. 

Everyone said in unison "IZZY!" 

Izzy sweatdropped. 

**_Tournament happens, most of the digidestined beat Mimemon in various events, etc, then they beat up on Mimemon and he escapes..._**

"We have to find him," said Matt furiously. 

"We will, some day," said Tai, "but you know we have our own mission to think of. Still, I'm with you dude, we'll kick that clown's butt when we get the chance!" 

Matt nodded, not quite content with that. "I guess he can't do much harm now that we've beaten him," he said, not sounding too sure. 

"Yeah," agreed Sora, "there's nothing to fear from HIM any more." 

**_Fic ends with Mimemon digivolving into Piedmon_**

~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

"It's really so elementary it's extraordinary that you are unable to comprehend it." 

Tai looked at Izzy flatly. "Uh huh. In English?" 

"He means it's so easy he can't believe you don't get it," translated Joe. 

Tai scowled. "Well, did ANYONE here understand what Izzy was talking about, or am I the sole 'idiot'?" 

"Well, it's true that you're the sole idiot, Tai," said Matt, smirking, "but to be perfectly honest, I don't have a clue what Izzy's talking about." 

"Neither did I," said Gabumon and Agumon in unison. 

"I never understand a single word," sighed Mimi. 

"He might as well be talking Urdu for all I understand of it," said Gomamon. 

"How does a Digimon who doesn't even understand the concept of 'don't wake me up until at least 10am' know what Urdu is?" asked Joe. Gomamon shrugged. 

"I don't really understand Izzy either," admitted Sora, and Biyomon nodded in agreement. 

"Izzy's kinda like a dictionary that doesn't tell you what the words mean," said TK. 

"What's a dictionary?" asked Patamon. 

"Must be something confusing," said Palmon. 

"Well," said Joe, "sometimes I think Izzy just makes up anything, no matter how farfetched it is, and uses lots of big words so the rest of us just have to believe him." 

Izzy looked decidedly unimpressed by these responses. "And you, Tentomon?" 

Tentomon sweatdropped. "Well, I wouldn't say that EVERY word you say is hard to understand, I mean I understand the words 'you' and 'the' and 'I' and 'it' and..." 

"I get the idea," sighed Izzy, "it is truly disappointing that I seem to be the only person with any intelligence around here..." 

"Don't be so patronising," said Joe. 

"What's patronising mean?" asked TK. 

"It's where someone treats you like you're an idiot," said Matt. 

"What alternative way is there to treat idiots..." muttered Izzy, and went off with Tentomon, annoyed. 

The other kids looked at each other. 

"Izzy's been getting worse lately," said Matt. 

"He's been really rude!" said Mimi. 

"He's probably just frustrated because that last program he was trying to figure out didn't work the way he wanted it to," said Sora diplomatically, "and he probably doesn't like it that there's nobody else he can talk to about these things." 

"Well, that's no reason to act like a jerk and use all those big words just to show off!" said Tai, and pounded a fist into his hand, "we gotta show that guy that we're just as smart as he is!" 

"Uhh, but Tai, we're not..." said Sora with a little sweatdrop. 

"C'mon, back me up here! Don't you think we should teach him a lesson?" 

"I'm almost afraid to ask what you have in mind..." 

"A contest, that's all! Something to prove that we're just as smart as he is, in our own ways!" 

"This should be interesting, to say the least," said Joe drily, "what, are you intending to rig it?" 

"No! No way! What do you take me for? I'd never do that!... well, yeah." 

Matt sighed. "Well, anything's worth a try... even listening to one of Tai's plans..." 

"Here's how it should work..." began Tai, and the others gathered around. 

*** 

Izzy and Tentomon returned later, both with armfuls of fruit. 

"We took the liberty of foraging and establishing the contents of tonight's meal," said Izzy. 

"Prodigious, Izzy," said Joe, "this array certainly ought to provide us with adequate nutrition for the present time." 

Izzy sweatdropped a little. "For what purpose are you utilising such vocabulary?" 

"I was simply taking it into consideration that you might desire conversation of a more sophisticated standard." 

Most of the others were quietly snickering by now, and Joe went a little red. He felt stupid, and Izzy was looking at him strangely. The language Izzy used didn't quite sound the same coming from him. 

"Izzy," said Tai, reading from a sheet of paper, "we wish to submit the proposition of a contest of intelligence, whereby if you... uh? Joe, your writing's hard to read!... oh, emerge! If you emerge victorious we will conced your superiority, but con-conversely, if we win, you must acknowledge that we are not ignorami, and stop utilising that pre- pre... what's that word? pre-ten-tious language in your efforts at condescension." 

Izzy sweatdropped, and smirked. "Tai, you can speak normally. I think such a challenge would prove most interesting, therefore I accept." 

~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

**_This was going to be in response to The Violence Challenge but I lost interest in finishing it. I guess this is PG or PG-13 although it's not too bad because I didn't actually WRITE the bulk of the violence._**

Tai stood up. 

This was no small feat; he had felt every attack that Wargreymon was hit with. He had been blown back, hurled into rocks, thrown against the ground. Blood matted his hair, and it felt like a bone in his arm might have been broken. He was very aware of his heart racing, and of Kari and Izzy cowering nearby. He glanced to his side. They were still there, still safe. 

Izzy shouted something, said he wanted to fight. No, he didn't. Tai gritted his teeth and shook his head. Izzy felt obligated to fight; he didn't want to. How could anyone want to? How could anyone want to feel this bad? His head was pounding, his skin was scratched, sandpapered by the rough ground. His footing was unsteady, and he knew more punishment was to come. And yet he stood up. 

He had to, he just had to. Kari was there. Kari, his little sister. So small and helpless. Well, she'd proven she wasn't so helpless, but she looked so fragile, and she was his _sister_... he had to stand up. He had to keep the others out of this. He had to wait for Matt. 

All along, it had felt good to be brave, to be the one with the biggest power, the one whose Digimon could digivolve first. It was good to be able to protect everyone - and yeah, show off a bit. To feel useful. But it had never actually cost _him_ anything to be brave before. Now, he was feeling everything. It hurt. 

And yet, saving the world had to be a team effort. 

Wargreymon stood up too. Tai would have felt glad but he was just too tired. He felt a sort of blank relief, and hoped they could keep standing up until the others came. Then came Piedmon's Trump Sword, too fast... no way either of them had the energy left to move fast enough... Wargreymon screamed as Tai was hit in the chest. 

*** 

Matt looked around him, with surprise. The cave had disappeared altogether. He felt better, more clear-minded, more clear-hearted. 

"MATT!" 

He looked up in surprise, and smiled. Sora, Patamon and TK, descending on Birdramon's talons. 

"Matt!" shouted TK and jumped off the talon he was sitting on to reach his brother. It was a drop of several feet to the ground, but Matt managed to catch him. They were both knocked to the ground. TK sat on Matt's chest and they both laughed with pure happiness. It was like the shadow that had been between them was gone forever. 

Suddenly Matt's face stiffened, and he clutched his chest with a cry. Gabumon grimaced with a shadow pain of his own. Sora looked alarmed and touched his arm. 

"Matt, are you alright?" 

He looked at her with a tortured expression. "Tai! Can't you feel it? He's in trouble!" 

"That's why we came to look for you. He's battling Piedmon." 

"PIEDMON!" shouted Matt, and grabbed one of Birdramon's claws. "What are we waiting for?! Birdramon, digivolve again!" 

Birdramon looked at Sora, who was thinking about Tai being in trouble. Her crest glowed in response. "Birdramon, digivolve to... Garudamon!" 

"Let's go!" shouted the eagle, and outstretched her hands to scoop the kids and their Digimon up. Then she flapped both wings and flew away. 

Joe and Gomamon, on the same island, looked up at the sky in surprise. 

"Wasn't that Garudamon?" said Gomamon. 

Joe looked at his digivice. "All I know is, my digivice only just started picking up Matt's signal, and now it's moving away very fast with a couple of others!" 

The two looked at each other and blinked. 

"Let's go!" they both shouted in unison. 

*** 

"Did you hear, did you hear?" 

Mimi blinked. A Gekomon had come running up and was waving its hands around in frantic gestures. 

"What's wrong?" she asked. 

"The battle has begun! The digidestined are taking on Piedmon!" 

"Oh no!" said Palmon, "we have to get there right away!" 

Mimi nodded and smiled sweetly at Ogremon. "Ogremon, you're the fastest Digimon here, how would you like to carry me to where the other kids are fighting Piedmon?" 

"I'd like that as much as I'd like a hole in the head! Just whadda you think I am?! There's NO WAY!" 

One minute later, Ogremon set off at a run, leaving the other Digimon allies to follow at their own paces, carrying Mimi and Palmon on his back and grumbling about it with every step. 

*** 

If Tai had let him fight, this wouldn't have happened. Maybe he should have just ignored the "leader's orders" and followed his heart. Maybe he should have done something more. Maybe he should stay with Kari now. Maybe he should just stop thinking and DO something. 

Izzy broke his cover and ran out. 

"Tai!" he shouted, "are you okay?" 

Tai lay on the ground. His crest was flashing erratically, and he whimpered as he clutched his chest. His hands were stained with red and he started shaking badly when he saw his own body. There was blood, seeming to be pumped right from his heart onto the ground. His clothes, torn to ribbons by the attack, were soaked with it. 

Izzy stared in horror at his friend. All questions and curiousity flew out of his mind as he ran and knelt at Tai's side. Tai lay, trembling, and Izzy grabbed his hand. 

"Tai, you'll- you'll..." 

He wanted to reassure him, but the boy's grip on his hand was weakening. Black, curious eyes searched pained, warm, brown ones. Tai tried to give a small, reassuring smile, but gave up. 

Tai had rarely thought about dying, but imagined he would go out in a blaze of glory, or maybe give a noble, brave speech as he breathed his last breaths. Now there was nothing but pain, and he wanted little more than for it to go away. He didn't even have enough presence of mind to feel disgusted at himself. 

But a real hero's death can be one of whimpering, of sobbing, of choking for each breath. Of feeling one's life force squelching beneath one's desperate fingers, of seeing nothing but red, of laboured breathing and the terrible pain. 

There was no courage left in the face of this. His crest glowed faintly for the last time and then was dark forever. The crest slipped from the tag and embedded itself into the ground. Wargreymon screamed and screamed, and then dedigivolved into Koromon. Koromon bounced over to Tai and buried himself under Tai's arm, nudging his side. His partner did not stir. 

Izzy sat there and stared blankly at Tai's body, and the crying Koromon. His gloved hands, on the ground in front of him, became stained with blood, but he didn't seem to notice. 

"I can see you're impressed!" said Piedmon, "I decided to do away with reconfiguration! Things are so much more fun when you play for keeps!" 

Tentomon turned around to look at Kari. His partner did not have the presence of mind to think of it. Gatomon was looking at Tai stoically, absent-mindedly patting Kari's hand with a gloved paw. Tentomon wondered what she had seen when she was with Myotismon; she seemed more calm than any of them. Kari was lying motionless on the ground, probably she had fainted. 

Tentomon would have kept looking at them, to avoid looking at Tai, but Piedmon was speaking again, taunting. 

"Oh, you didn't like that? Such a shame! Perhaps my next trick will be more to your liking!" 

"Tentomon, digivolve to... Kabuterimon!" 

Izzy looked at Piedmon, and then back at Tai. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it. Beneath the reddened gloves, his hands were shaking badly. He couldn't seem to think of anything relevent or useful. He thought that the others should have been faster. He thought that one Digimon shouldn't have had the power to eliminate Digimon's ability to be reconfigured. 

He thought of how everyone had laughed at Joe when he was scared. Why had they done that? He was terrified. The pain he had just seen... the worlds were going to end... he was going to die, and die horribly. 

Kabuterimon struggled. He couldn't seem to digivolve again. 

**_Piedmon kills the others one by one, all quite painfully and awfully, in various ways. Koromon is killed trying to save Kari. Matt, Sora, TK and Mimi all come back and are also killed._**

Joe was running, with Gomamon in his arms. Gomamon's digivolved forms were the slowest out of any of them; it was faster for Joe to run. The young boy was out of breath by the time he reached the scene. And then he stopped short. 

Gomamon let out a kind of wail, a shrill sound that was cut off as Joe's arms slackened and he fell out of them, landing heavily on the ground. 

Tai, Kari, Koromon, Gatomon, Tentomon. The heavy, sickly smell of blood filled the air. Joe, who hated the sight of blood, blanched and vomited. 

They walked slowly, circling the bodies.

"This is just like a dream I kept having," said Joe, almost in a conversational tone. 

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" whispered Gomamon. 

"Nobody would listen." 

For the first time he could remember, Gomamon was afraid. He stayed very close to Joe, looking furtively around. But Piedmon was gone, obviously not seeing the bearer of Reliability as any kind of threat. 

Joe nodded and sat down very slowly. With kind eyes, he looked at the bodies of his friends, very steadily. For once, he was not hysterical, and he was not panicking. He was completely silent, as Gomamon cried loudly in his lap, tears onto his partner's shorts. 

After a very long time, Gomamon's sobs subsided, and the small Digimon just huddled, and shivered, and clutched Joe's legs tightly. Joe half-closed his eyes, so that all he could see of his friends were red blurs. 

The two sat there without speaking for almost an hour before Joe finally broke the silence. 

"I knew this was gonna happen." 

   [1]: mailto:leto@nysa.cx



End file.
